I don’t work on Sundays. No wait, I don’t do anything on Sundays! And this seems to boggle a lot of minds. People have numerous reasons why I should see them on Sunday. It’s fascinating. I have thus far taught my body to refuse all when I wake, I can literally spend the entire day (10 hours) in bed reading, eating and watching things on the laptop. Lazy right? Yep, yep, yep. But I have my reasons - give me a chance to explain.

What are the key driving forces behind your business? Is it your product? Your service offering? Is it your price offering on your product or services? NO! What drives your business and the real success behind your organization is your TEAM. Therefore, if you want a growing and successful business, a business that is profitable and thriving, it is crucial that you have the right team driving your business. So, how do you go about recruiting and retaining a winning team?

by Lori Milner, author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress

At this point in the year, we are gobsmacked that it’s November and repeatedly tell ourselves how the year has flown. But when we create days that are memorable, they seem to stick longer in our mind and it feels like time slows down just a little bit.

The decision to take on the entrepreneurial journey carries with it a number of novelties – the biggest (well at least for me) has been becoming your own boss, and hopefully at some stage somebody else’s boss. This means taking into consideration the kind of boss you want to be and more importantly, how your boss characteristics will impact the culture of the company as a whole, and how that culture will determine the health (both financial and otherwise) of your company and its people.

The world follows the US and UK for everything…literally everything. Maybe it’s because these places monopolize our media? It’s tougher to find out what is happening in Malawi than in Los Angeles. And see how far Los Angeles is compared to Malawi and to us? In fashion as well, retailers do their research in the UK and US first; then the rest of Europe. We are one season behind, so we are well set up for this follow-on game. But I can tell you that South Africans, just like Africans, have their own preferences. We take some of the trends, leave some, and make others in our own way. This is a list of what I have noticed this year making clothes for South African ladies.

There are so many things I witness every day on my way to work. I see the same people rushing to work late. I see school children excited and almost dancing their way to school transport services. I also see ladies fixing their make up in vehicles by the robots. What struck my attention was when I saw two different sets of people - the sellers and the beggars in the streets.

Did you know that your brain is constantly rewiring itself? That’s what neuroplasticity is all about. Use this knowledge to grow your brain! Psychologist and researcher Dr. Carol Dweck coined the “growth versus fixed mindset” framework more than 10 years ago. This concept allows you to train your brain to be a better problem solver by adapting more of a growth mindset.

by Lori Milner, author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress

The equation, ANXIETY = Uncertainty x Powerlessness, comes from Chip Conley’s insightful book ‘Emotional Equations’. Chip believes that the product of what you don’t know (uncertainty) and what you can’t control (powerlessness) creates the emotional condition of anxiety, which is greater than the sum of its parts.

The wonderful, crazy city buzz is a place that energizes most of us, whether it’s New York, London, Milan, or Jozi, and many more cities in Africa. High tempo, people doing their things, and life goes on and on and on… Very much similar to an ant city.

Speaking at this year’s annual PriceCheck Awards Ceremony, CEO Kevin Tucker noted that the Tech and E-commerce Awards are more important than ever before. He said that while 2018 has been a tough year for retail, it’s an industry with massive potential for growth.

It’s a fact of life that we don’t always get what we want and it sure isn’t always fair. Being a woman in business and in leadership, you’re bound to have to face more than your fair share of disappointments. Here are some tips on learning to move with the flow of life and not let temporary disappointments become permanent setbacks.

Competition is a subject I did in marketing at college. We were reviewing the ways companies compete for markets. Direct competition and indirect competition. Direct competition is CocaCola and Pepsi. Indirect would be CocaCola and all banting products. This subject tells us that there’s one market for all these companies, and they must all fight for their attention. Ways of fighting include pricing, ingredients, advertising, location, pairing with other power brands in the industry, and of late going green/healthy. Are you exhausted already? Me too, but read on…

Recently I had the privilege of attending a workshop where I delivered a talk to a group of young learners about career development. This is a topic that is very close to my heart because many people are forced into unwanted careers for many reasons. The bottom line is that there is an enormous need for career guidance in underprivileged schools. This is specifically because advanced institutions have career coaches and counselors to assist learners in aligning their future goals and aspirations with their talents and capabilities from the early stages of their schooling.

When I think about failure I truly believe I am an expert on this subject. I have failed in every area of my life many times - personally, financially, and in business. If you want advice on how to handle failure, ask an expert!

It’s the height of any fashion season right now. Whether you are a designer, seamstress, wholesaler, model, photographer or PR person in fashion, you are busy from August till January. And all your ‘please order in July for September’ advice has fallen on deaf ears. You are managing those who listened and risk managing those who didn’t. No matter how many no’s you can say, someone always convinces you to ‘pretty please help’; most of the time you help because it is someone you like and want to dress….again.

Are you working really hard to build your business? Are you always on the look out for new opportunities to get income? Do you constantly follow up on clients and try and persuade them to buy your product/service? I have a newsflash for you…you’ve been hustling! Yes…you are a hustler!

Last week I was in Durban taking part in the KZN Fashion Council’s AFX expo. The main reason I agreed is they said there’s a fashion show and I will be showing. Well duh! Nothing is more exciting to a fashion designer than ‘hey here is a platform, come and show us what you can do’; everything is planned and in place, you much just show up. Thank God! So, I was already 80% into finishing the new range; I completed it and headed down. This range has been in my head for 4 months - I am that person….everything is in my head…writing it down is another mission.

Marketing, sales, operations, finances, picking up the children….so many responsibilities for today’s business owner. It often feels overwhelming, which is why we need mentors and coaches to help us make successful choices. One thing that helps you make better choices and be more productive is your thoughtwork.

You have worked hard to get to where you are and it feels good to be reaching your goals. However, you might not be alone in enjoying your success – many young professionals today feel pressurised to ‘pay back’ and support extended family members who may not be as fortunate.

As the year winds down and we’re all tempted to start planning for the next year, it’s important to take a moment to do a bit of a retrospective and to celebrate the successes we have had to date. In fact, it’s an important aspect of our development as leaders, that we are able to celebrate the small wins and reinforce that we are on the path to success, no matter what that looks like in our business or personal lives.

If you are on earth you have either heard or said the words ‘Why don’t you?’ to someone. If you are a first generation business owner in your family, you hear these words from everyone. Humans are kind, first. We are keen to help. Sometimes even when we are not asked. I cannot begin to tell you how many times people have asked the question “Why don’t you?” to me, believing that whatever they are saying is most definitely the answer to my challenges. Some even have contacts for me to action this idea they have come up with. It’s highly appreciated but most times not what we need. Sometimes we just need to vent - about our businesses!

by Hlobisile Shoba, founder of Mafisa Chartered Accountants, South Africa

Many business owners are under the impression that their companies must be audited, which is not always the case. For some companies, a certain level of assurance can be provided through an independent review. This level of assurance is normally acceptable to funders, banks, etc.

by Lori Milner, author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress

I consume books. Especially books that help me understand myself better; books that help me learn from other people’s journeys. Both their successes and their mistakes are invaluable ways to fast-track our own growth. These 7 books incorporate all that … and so much more. Happy reading!

During any trip in nature so many things can happen. We have all watched movies of the unforeseen or the accident waiting to happen. We have also witnessed nail gripping stuff of someone who cannot hold their grip in certain circumstances.

by Lori Milner, author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress

I came across a podcast recently where leadership guru, Simon Sinek, was being interviewed by Tony Robbins. He mentioned a concept I hadn’t heard of before ‘Care-frontation’. In my research, I came across a great definition that characterizes it as follows…

My response to the question “Are you not too young?” My age often comes up and people are not only shocked but worried about the responsibilities I have acquired. I am 22 years old, married, have a two months old son, and I am a social entrepreneur.

Spring season has always been associated with decluttering, clearing out, spring cleaning and making space for the new. This gives us wonderful opportunities to take stock of what we have, what's working, what's not working, what is valuable and what has passed it's 'sell by' date. It's not that different when it comes to our relationships.

Fortune favors those who give their businesses Full Heart. Women entrepreneurs, more so than our male counterparts, tend to have several projects to manage beside their business. These projects can include children, parents (and other family members), a day job and perhaps running a home.

by Lori Milner, author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress

I always know where my focus and head space is by the status of the wallpaper on my phone. Not quite what you were expecting to read right? So, a few months ago, I made myself a wallpaper with the word ‘Pause’. This was to remind myself to slow down, be mindful, not rush, not look 5 steps ahead but to just be in the moment and be present with those around me.